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Thai new Cabinet sworn in before King

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-22 22:45

BANGKOK -- Thailand's new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was sworn in in front of King Bhumibol Adulyadej Monday afternoon in the royal residence in Hua Hin, a central beach resort town some 200 kilometers away from Bangkok.

Members of Thailand's new cabinet take a group photo at the Government House in Bangkok December 22, 2008. New Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva unveiled a cabinet on Saturday including several ministers criticised for lack of experience and a foreign minister closely tied to this year's street protests. [Xinhua/Reuters]

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Abhisit, who was elected as Thailand's 27th PM on December 15 in a parliamentary voting session to take place the disqualified Somchai Wongsawat, led other 35 Cabinet members to take part in a oath-making ceremony in front of the King, which started on late Monday afternoon.

The 81-year-old King asked the Abhisit Cabinet to work for Thai people's happiness, keep the society in good order so that the country will go ahead in the right way during the ceremony.

Earlier before the ceremony, the new premier and ministers took group pictures at the Government House in central Bangkok, which had just been recently been cleaned up and repaired after a three-month occupation by the demonstrators of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

The PAD opposed ousted former premier Thakshin Shinawatra and whoever they considered his "proxies", the two previous forced- out governments by Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat since February, both led by People Power Party (PPP).

The Constitutional Court disbanded the PPP and two smaller parties in the Somchai-led coalition government on December 2 on electoral fraud charges and disqualified all executives of the three parties, including Somchai and other ministers.  

Abhisit is expected to deliver his government's policy speech to the Parliament on December 29. The first cabinet meeting will be held on Tuesday.

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